Switch 2 Game Key Card rejected in Japan puts games at risk

Nintendo announced that many of its upcoming Switch 2 games will be released on Game-Key Cards , a hybrid format that includes only a physical card and a download key for accessing the full game online. The move was conceived as a solution to reduce production and storage costs, but has sparked controversy among collectors, historians, and the industry.

In Japan, the country where Nintendo was born, this decision has been met with strong opposition. The National Diet Library , responsible for archiving cultural products, has determined that these cartridges do not meet the criteria for preservation. This has sparked a debate about how digital games could be lost to future generations.

According to the institution's officials (via Famitsu and Automaton), Game Key Cards are not considered complete content, as they depend on an internet download to function. The Japanese library, which has stored thousands of video game cartridges and CDs since 2000, emphasizes that it only preserves media that physically include the entire work.

With more than 9,600 titles archived, the library has been instrumental in preserving Japan's digital cultural heritage. The refusal to accept the new format highlights a growing problem: reliance on servers and digital downloads could erase historic games from public view .

Gaming experts and industry figures, such as the director of Nightdive Studios , have criticized Nintendo's move. The concern is that future server shutdowns for the Switch 2 could render entire titles inaccessible, even if players retain the physical card.

The Game-Key Card format could become standard for many third-party titles, but it represents a setback in terms of collecting and historical preservation , by limiting the ability to archive games as tangible cultural heritage.

The Game Key Card debate reflects a larger dilemma in the industry: how to balance efficient digital distribution with the preservation of cultural heritage . While some celebrate the convenience of digital formats, others warn that video game history could lose important pieces if not properly protected.